Crepuscular Rays
by Eternal L wyrm
Summary: A quest in which everything begins lost can only get better. Sora must find the Keyblade to prove his worth as a king. Alongside his friends he finds a boy he believed existed only in his dreams. AU SoraxRoxasxSora. ON HIATUS
1. I: The King's Crown

_**Crepuscular Rays**_

**And so, here it is our first chaptered story in… almost a year, actually. Wow. Anyways, I have nothing to say about this, except that I might be playing far too many JRPGs, because, really, this plot is way too Japanese. Let's hope you enjoy it!**

_Just a quick note, the romance in this one is somewhat slow. There won't be as much fluff as usual for one of our stories. But if we're going to make an adventure/romance, we might as well do a good romance AND adventure! Usual disclaimer applies ^_^_

_**I: The King's Crown**_

"_Long ago, so long that most people have trouble believing it was real, there was a terrible monster in these lands. Nobody knew where it came from or what it wanted. Some said it was old as time itself, and that it could never truly die out._

"_The king, a young man that had given himself to his people, decided that the hundred years of fear had been enough, and decided to fight it with all he had. It wasn't enough. The creature was vastly intelligent and cunning. In just a few days, his armies were razed, and he was left with nothing on his side._

"_He still didn't give up, for he loved his kingdom, and every single person on it. His love, along with some ancient magic, turned out to be enough to defeat the beast._

"_The King died that day, but the monster was sealed. It would never break out of his prison again. His descendants, us, must keep his will, and be rightful and kind rulers to our people."_

_Sora grinned. His father told the best stories. It was one of the things he did best. Not even a sitter or poet could compare to him. The king's deep and passionate voice was able to make him go back to the times he spoke of. Sora could have been happy listening to his father's voice forever._

"_Why did he have to die? I'm sure there was another way…" the young boy asked, somewhat confused. The king just smiled and kissed his forehead._

"_Maybe, but he couldn't think of a better way. Being a leader is a burden, not a privilege. A king must love and think of his subjects before anything else, even himself."_

"_You too?" Sora inquired, a little in awe. "Would you have died too?" Sora was not so little anymore. He understood death. That was why it was so difficult to believe someone would choose it when possibilities could be endless._

"… _If there was no other way," His father answered simply. "It's true I don't want to die, nobody does. But my duty is to protect and rule. That is why I'll do everything in my power, to protect those who serve me."_

* * *

Sora hated being in the council room more than anything.

The country was mourning the loss of their king. Every noble and servant was wearing black, and the ceremonial pyre was to be held the next day, while family and close friends kept vigil. Yet the counselors thought it was the opportune moment to take a grieving teenager from his father's side to talk about succession.

"… His highness is only sixteen, though." Counselor Kyle said dismissively for what was probably the twentieth time in three hours. "I believe it would be in the best interests of both the country and the crown prince to have a regent by his side until he was of age. After all, he's been quite shaken by his majesty's death."

"And I suppose _you_ would like to be his regent, Kyle." Counselor Lillian snapped with venom. Sora actually liked her a lot. She was the youngest in the council (in her late thirties), and Kairi's mother. "I believe Prince Sora would make a wonderful king of his own. Despite his age he's already knowledgeable enough on both politics and economy." She fought tooth and nail for him, and he could appreciate that, but right now, he had no energy to deal with this.

The counselors kept fighting for a good forty minutes. Most were actually on Kyle's side, but constantly fought over who should reign for Sora for the next two years.

"Despicable," Everyone turned around and observed Counselor Yen Sid, the oldest and most respected person in the council. His opinions tended to tip the scales of any debate to his side. He had been born into royalty, but his battle injuries had made it impossible for him to succeed the throne. Sora was kind of scared of him, but the old man always seemed reasonable, if a little stern. "Kings through our history had always understood what it means to lead. To be hated no matter what choice you make, and yet still love the kingdom. Can any of you say you're ready to accept such a burden?"

The room was eerily quiet, as it usually happened under the elder's hard gaze. However, Yen Sid's stare was not on the council, but on Sora. The teen gulped, but nodded all the same. Yen Sid smiled somewhat proudly as he stood up.

"Let the Crown Prince prove his worth then." The man said as the council began stirring up. "Give him a quest, a mission that will demonstrate whether or not he's ready for the throne."

"What kind of test do you have in mind, sir?" Counselor Sarah asked somewhat mildly.

Out of the seventeen members of the council (one for each province), she was the kindest and frailest. Sora remembered distinctly having the kind middle-aged woman sneaking him sweets when his father punished him.

"He will look for the Keyblade." He said in his usual no-nonsense voice.

The whole council looked around, uncomfortable. Everybody knew of the Keyblade, a legendary weapon that only a king could wield. According to legend, it had been sealed within Castle Oblivion many centuries ago, as it tended to drive even the strongest of kings insane.

However, the keyword there was 'legendary'. The weapon did not exist, or at least, there was no record of its existence. It was true that there had been a long line of less than stellar kings around six hundred years before, but the idea that a sentient weapon (a key shaped blade, which was obviously just for show, as it couldn't really cut through anything) could actually choose a king, and even drive him insane, was preposterous.

"Then it's decided!" Kyle said in obvious glee after the prolonged silence. Sora was really beginning to hate that man. His father had just died, yet he could still act as if it was his birthday or something like that. "Crown Prince Sora will travel to Bastion, and reach Castle Oblivion. If he brings back the Keyblade, then he'll prove his worth as a king. He'll be crowned, despite his young age. If not, well, we better begin choosing a regent within the council."

That man was nothing but a power-hungry maggot. He didn't doubt he would be chosen as Sora's regent, and was just giving in because Yen Sid's trial was absolutely insane. Sora wanted to punch some sense into him, even if it went against his better nature.

The council agreed on the wild goose chase, and left to their respective guestrooms. Of the seventeen counselors, only Lillian (representative of the neighboring farming province) and Yen Sid lived in the castle. Any of them would have been a better choice for regent, but Yen Sid refused any position that put him above the rest of the council, while Lillian (a noble only through marriage) wouldn't be accepted by the council.

As Sora left, both stressed out and miserable, a hand held him in place. He turned around to face Yen Sid who gave him a stiff smile.

"It exists, Sora." He said in a comforting voice. "I do believe you have what it's required to wield the Keyblade. A strong King has a strong Heart to wield it."

* * *

"… And what, in all realms of existence, is that supposed to mean?" Sora ended his tale as he buried his head on his pillow. Kairi smiled sympathetically and looked over at Riku. The knight, as usual, seemed deep in thought, analyzing every small detail and trying to come up with the best course of action.

"If Lord Yen Sid believes it's real, then chances are it actually is." He said, smiling. "We have to look for it."

"_We_ have? Is that even allowed?" Kairi asked with wide eyes. "Isn't this one of those 'this is something he has to do himself' quests?" she said in a bad impression of Yen Sid's voice.

"He's the Crown Prince, Kairi," The knight sighed as he heard Sora mumble 'Don't talk as if I'm not here' from the pillow. "Obviously he'll be allowed to travel alongside other people as protection."

"And what, pray tell, makes you think I'll be considered at all? I have some fencing abilities, I'll give you that, but I'm not sure I can actually pass as the most powerful guard of the Kingdom." She complained. Kairi was just a noblewoman; the most they expected of her was being a socialite. She had to fight hard just to be allowed to practice with a sword. Yen Sid would undoubtedly protest to her going with Sora.

"Sora can put a good word for you." Riku shrugged. "Whatever happens, we face it together, right?"

Sora looked up and smiled gratefully. No matter what, his friends were always with him.

"I'll go talk to Yen Sid right away!" He was stopped by Riku holding his shoulder. "Now what?" He said exasperated. Riku wordlessly pointed to the window. Dawn was only a few hours away.

"You better wait until tomorrow." Kairi smiled as she gave a small yawn. "Right now, I think we should sleep. Tomorrow is going to be really busy."

"Can't sleep, got the night shift." Riku sulked as he picked up his helmet and spear (which served absolutely no purpose for him other than blocking the entrance. Riku was more used to fighting with a Broadsword). Sora just stood up as quickly as he could.

"What if we keep you company? Is that okay?" He asked as he began sheathing his Longsword. Kairi nodded and immediately went to her room to fetch her Rapier Sword.

"You'll just fall asleep by the door… again." Riku smiled, but still didn't stop Sora from his preparations.

"Will not!" He said childishly as he finished putting on his leather vest. Riku decided not to take the obvious quarrel-bait and stepped aside.

Kairi met them by the doors wearing pants and a slightly baggy woolen jacket.

"What?" She asked, noticing their stare. "It's autumn, and wearing a skirt while on guard duty is just silly."

The three laughed as they set themselves by the inner doors. Rarely ever any intruder got past the outer walls, so this post was pretty uneventful.

Sora was the first to fall to boredom, falling asleep against the wall just an hour and a half later.

* * *

Sora opened his eyes to a flower garden. He couldn't quite make up the kinds of flowers or their smell, but that only reassured him that this was a dream.

"You're late."

Well, one of _those_ dreams.

He turned around to see the now-familiar blond boy he often dreamed with. His spiky hair, slightly less messy than Sora's, blew with the dream-wind as his blue eyes were completely lost on the distance. He followed his gaze, only to see a setting sun coloring all the flowers orange.

"Sorry, a lot happened today." He apologized. The blond just smiled, but still didn't look at him.

"The king died today." The teen said simply. Sora nodded, somewhat pained, as the night began enveloping the sky. "Everybody has been busy."

"Yeah…"

"Stay sharp." He said in that same soft voice. "Grief does not suit you. You're at your best when you're smiling."

The blond finally turned to him, giving him a small smile. Sora returned it, and they both sat on the flower field.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you in ages." Sora said as they held hands and watched the sunset. Although, he didn't know if it could be called that, since the sun didn't show any signs of going down the horizon.

"It was just a week." The other chuckled. "I don't know, been dreaming something else, I guess."

"Why a sunset this time?" Sora smiled. The blond usually was on a dark castle, or even in a forest clearing. He only showed a sunset in special occasions.

"This one wasn't mine. It was like this when I arrived." He paused for a minute. "Maybe it's trying to tell us something."

"Like… that you can finally tell me your name?" The brunet teased. The teen beside him just chuckled once more but uttered his name to try it.

As always, the lips moved, but his voice turned impossible to understand, while his face blurred, as if the dream itself collapsed with the name. Sora sighed and shook his head. The blond shrugged and turned back to the sunset.

"Maybe not," He joked. "… This is called magic hour." He finally said after a while.

"Huh? What is?" Sora looked around; trying to find what triggered the comment.

"This," his head moved to point all the landscape. "The last hour of sunlight, the colors seem a little more… alive, subtle. I really like it." He squeezed Sora's hand.

"You're so random sometimes." Sora said, but the blond continued smiling.

"When I was little, someone told me this was the moment when you meet the people that have left us." He looked towards the sun more intently. "People never truly leave; they always live within us, in our actions." He released Sora's hand and smiled in a comforting way.

And with that, Sora felt like he was being pulled by an unknown force, as his name was repeated over and over.

* * *

"Sora!" The prince woke up to see Riku shaking him lightly. "It's dawn, someone will replace me soon."

"Replace _us_." Sora corrected with a yawn. Riku just smirked. "Where's Kairi?"

"She already left. You should go too. What would people think if they saw the Crown Prince sleeping outside the castle?"

"_Guarding_ the castle," He grinned. "They'll think I'm an awesome prince of course." A blank stare was all he received. "Okay, I'm going."

"Remember to talk to Yen Sid." Riku called as he passed the main gate.

"Of course I will!"

Sora smiled as he went to sleep a few more hours in his room. He missed his father like no one else could, but he felt him. He didn't feel alone.

_The king's Crown still rested on the empty throne room, waiting for its new Master._

* * *

**And so, we end Chapter one. I kind of like where this is going! Next chapter, we see a bit of Roxas (Who he is, what he does, etc.) and they meet for the first time. Please review and tell me how we're doing, since this is the first time we go into something that's not at least 85% romance.**

_Next chapter is… 15% done, more or less. We'll try to post it as soon as we can. Also, we're kind of trying to give everybody some sort of "big part" in this story. We're working on Kairi right now!_


	2. II: The Artist's Job

_**Crepuscular Rays**_

**Since this is a chaptered story, we'll be answering reviews here as usual ^_^**

_To CanadianCold: Hello once again! Well, we kind of just went with what worked best to give Sora his quest XP Right now we're polishing the Kingdom a little, you'll see it once they are on the road. Thanks for reviewing!_

**To Green Feather: Thank goodness you like it, this chapter and the next one have a lot of exposition, so we're trying to make it as interesting as possible. Thank you for reading.**

_To Innocent Uke or NOT: I love these kinds of fanfics too! The idea actually spawned from one certain Final Fantasy VIII line, and we took it from there. Thanks for the review!_

**We don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

_**II: The Artist's Job**_

_Roxas stared emptily at the tombstones in front of him. The six year old did not fully understand the concept of death. He just knew what he had been told. His parents were not coming back._

_Surprisingly enough, he couldn't bring himself to cry. He felt… empty, devoid of emotion._

_According to adults, death was something that 'happened'. It couldn't be avoided, so Roxas tried his best to hide the fact it bothered him._

_He didn't know where he would go next. Aside from his parents, he had no one. He thought that maybe he could live in the forest. Forest animals always seemed kind to children in those books his mother used to read him._

_As he considered where to go, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He jumped a little, and turned back to see a tall man with platinum hair with what he guessed was an attempt at a comforting smile (it came off as a rather creepy smirk)._

"_I'm very sorry." The man said in his deep, though uncaring, voice. "You're not alone, Roxas… no one is ever truly alone."_

_Even if the tone dripped with irony, even if the man kept that awful expression thorough the whole conversation, Roxas still felt a little better about himself. When that man asked, he agreed to the strange man to taking him to his home._

_After all, the life of a servant was tons better than the life of a beggar._

* * *

Roxas entered the forest clearing six hours after dawn.

The funeral pyre for the king had been the day, and even if he had no interest in it, people still mourned him in taverns, inns and even on the plazas. The kingdom was economically frozen, and that only meant trouble for Roxas.

The mysterious pageboy that had arrived two days ago with a job offer had been a godsend of some sort. His employer, though intent on keeping anonymous until that day, had promised him enough money to get by until the end of the year, if nobody made any rash expenses.

Roxas was the kind of person who would do every job he was asked to, as long as his employer paid what was fair. He had gained a bit of a reputation thanks to Lord Kyle, Counselor of the Twilight Prefecture (his home province), who constantly called for him to be his daughter's (or, as Xion liked to call her, the Screaming Banshee's) bodyguard.

Protect, guide, seek, it all was part of his job description.

Killing came less frequently now, but he used to do it all the time.

Knowing he had arrived two hours too early, he decided to rest against a tree and closed his eyes for a while.

His dreams were mostly blurry during the day. He barely remembered the vortex of images that appeared during those times. They were bizarre, to say the least. Images of death, light and darkness constantly ran through his mind in rapid succession, not even bothering to have the smallest amount of sense.

Some nights, though, it was a completely different story.

He heard the nearby leaves rustling, and immediately jumped into a non-threatening position. An old man and a woman entered the clearing, looking worn out and somewhat messy. Nobles, judging by their high quality clothes, and if he guessed correctly, they were also his latest employers.

Roxas did a bow, moving his right arm towards his left shoulder, forming a perfect V. It was a bow taught only to servants as a way of showing humility. Only lineages that served the king knew it. The old man eyed him suspiciously, but the redheaded woman seemed impressed.

"Your Lordships, I received the message two days ago." He said as he stood uptight again. "I must say, it is a bit surprising you considered me." Being submissive, adoring. Nobles loved that, feeling they were superior to others.

"We're not Kyle, kid. So stop trying to butter us up." The woman said rather loudly. Roxas eyed her interestedly. The woman seemed rather strong and rugged, more used to the outside world than her companion. "You're Roxas, right?"

"Yes. And you are my employers, are you not?" His tone was somewhat ruder now, even if the speech pattern was still respectful. "What do you require of me?"

"We have heard quite a bit about you from Kyle" The older man said briefly. "An exiled knight from the neighboring country who will take any job he's asked."

Roxas fought the need to smile. That was, indeed, the lie he had told Lord Kyle.

"We want you to guard some important people. You'll take them through the safest route towards Bastion, and then back to the capital safely." The woman said in a way too strong voice for a proper lady.

"It'll take around two weeks or so. It all depends on my charges' endurance and what you consider 'safe'." Roxas shrugged. Escorting was his least favorite job. He would be stuck with a bunch of royal pains in the behind, refusing to camp, get dirty or sleep in anything but a high quality bed.

"Just make sure they don't stumble upon a gang of thieves." The woman laughed. "They are not particularly picky."

"How many people do I have to escort?" Now that he knew his mission, the only thing left was to define it.

"Just three," The old man said.

"And how do I recognize them?" If they had asked him to meet him here, it only meant he would have to find them.

"Umm… let me see, a redheaded girl, a silver haired bulky guy, and a messy haired brunet. They are kind of difficult to miss." The redhead enumerated. Roxas nodded. "I know for certain they will be at the bar just north from the capital tonight."

"Bastion is south from the capital." He felt like pointing out. Both nobles shifted and looked away. Well, this wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

* * *

"_Repeat it! And do it right this time!" Saïx barked as Roxas stood straight again. Beside him Axel looked at him in worry, but there was nothing the scrawny 16 year old could do against both Saïx and Xemnas. The men saw him with either disgust or amusement. It was not difficult guessing which one had which expression._

_Sometimes, Roxas felt like he was Xemnas' dog._

"_Your Lordship." His arm in a perfect V. Inclining his torso exactly thirty-nine degrees. He only stayed in place for roughly a quarter of a second. He couldn't stay too long, or people would find it strange. He returned to his uptight position, relieved to not hear complaints from either Saïx or Xemnas._

_A knife was cleanly lodged in the middle of the dummy's chest._

_Saïx was still frowning, probably because he couldn't keep berating him (his favorite activity). Xemnas, on the other hand, was smirking as he walked over to him._

"_Killing is an art, Roxas." He said as he patted his head like a master pets his hound. Roxas saw Axel frown from the corner of his eyes. "I believe, you have what it takes to be a great artist."_

_Roxas couldn't help but feel a little sick at the prospect._

* * *

Everybody in the kingdom knew Crown Prince Sora as the Ghost Prince. Aside from his name, no one outside Destiny Palace knew anything about him. Few wondered whether or not the boy actually existed. There were some pretty nasty rumors about the king being unable to sire children, with the mysterious Crown Prince being just a maneuver to keep invaders away after his death.

Roxas, of course, knew the prince was real. Axel had seen him more than once, and Axel didn't lie to him.

At least, not anymore.

The idea that Lord Yen Sid and Lady Lillian (Representatives of Destiny and Traverse in the council) wanted Roxas to protect him in his quest was pretty bizarre to begin with, but the fact that said prince knew nothing about it was what really had caught Roxas off guard.

He barely knew how to socialize with someone of the same social status, and according to his 'Intel', the prince and his friends would be moonlighting as people just like that (It was a smart move, really, but it made Roxas' job so much more difficult). The plan was simply approaching him and present himself as a guide. However, he had to keep a low profile while doing it, lest he 'blew' his cover.

This job sucked.

"Give me another one." He said to the bartender as he drowned a mug of beer. Xion had once said that his drunk self was more talkative, so being a little tipsy would be better for his purpose.

People fitting Lady Lillian's description entered seven beer mugs later. He hadn't been told which of the two males the prince was, but it did not matter. He got up (no, he did _not _tumble) and began approaching.

He stood frozen about three feet from the table they had chosen.

The brunet had his back towards him, but he knew he had charming blue eyes, was usually cheerful and friendly, with a lot of spunk.

He knew because he had met him before.

* * *

"Okay, what's the best route?" Kairi asked as she unfolded a small map. It lacked some landmarks, but none of them were places they wanted to go to. "To reach the castle we have to pass Dark Forest and Bevelle, right?" She pointed to the east of the map.

"We don't _have_ to. We can always take another pathway." Riku pointed to the northeast. "We can go through here, it's a little out of the way, but we'll don't have to go through the forest."

"Sounds good… what do you say Kairi?" Sora said as he looked at the map.

"It's a perfect route… if you can fly." A voice said behind Sora. The teens turned around to see a blond boy, around their age, standing behind them while giving a small smirk. He smelled faintly of alcohol. "I knew you had no sense of direction, but this?"

Riku and Kairi glared at the newcomer, while Sora just gaped, shocked.

"And who are you to question us?" Riku shot back. The blond continued to smile drunkenly.

"This 'path'," he said with some sarcasm as he pointed to Riku's route. "Crosses through the middle of a cliff. And this one," he indicated the other one, "passes straight through a clearing that serves as a nesting place to poisonous snakes."

"We can go around the clearing, then." Kairi said, somewhat ashamed.

"Yup, and reach Bastion in a month." He pointed to the Bastion Province, located at the far south of the map. "I have to admit, after the snakes and the cliff, it is a pretty smooth road, if you don't count the usual thief in the way."

Riku was about to punch the drunkard for embarrassing them, but Kairi simply held his shoulders and looked at the blond suspiciously.

"How do you know we're heading to Bastion?" She asked. The blond just gave a light snort.

"It's my job!" He said a little too happily. "I was hired to be a guide to the Crown Prince!" He whispered right after and giggled.

Sora finally had enough brain function to close his mouth, and promptly took the blond's hand and lead him to the nearby inn with the other two following behind.

"We meet again." The guy said before hugging him. "You're so soft." He smiled as Sora blushed.

They decided to take three rooms at Sora's insistence (one for Sora and Riku, one for Kairi, and one for the 'guide'), and left the blond passed out on the bed.

"So, what's the plan?" Kairi said in worry. "Should we trust that guy? He's drunk off his mind."

"He's a problem, we don't know who hired him, or even if he's really planning to help us." Riku grumbled.

"I think he's trustworthy. He was just a little drunk. Without him we'll be more than lost." Sora said meekly. Riku just glared at him for a moment, while Kairi seemed to ponder over the bizarre first impression the boy left.

"I still think we should ditch him." Riku huffed.

"He could be valuable; we better wait until he sobers up tomorrow and let him explain himself better." Kairi argued lightly.

"I'm with Kairi!" Sora exclaimed. Riku glared at the floor for almost a minute before nodding.

"I don't like it, but you're the one with the quest. I'll keep an eye on him" With that decided, the group decided to go to sleep. Kairi went to her room and Riku basically passed out on his bed.

Sora couldn't stop thinking. That blond boy was identical to the one in his dreams. And what did he mean by 'We meet again'? Just who was this guy?

And why did Sora find him so ridiculously attracting?

* * *

_Roxas ran through the castle's halls as fast as he could while holding an unconscious body._

_He had to get away fast. Xemnas would discover him soon, if he wasn't outside the castle by then, he was screwed._

"_Leaving already?" Roxas froze and turned to meet Axel. The redhead was looking way more serious than Roxas could remember._

"_I don't understand what you guys want, but I won't let you use us anymore." Roxas replied coldly. He was tired, tired of being used, of being lied to. The thirteen year old just wanted the truth, and he was sure he wasn't going to get it out of Axel._

"_Then you'll be hunted down." Axel replied. "You and that girl will be safe nowhere."_

"_I'll still try." He said defiantly. "And they won't be able to find me if their best spy disappears."_

"_Is that a threat?" Axel said, amused. "We're friends Roxas. You know you can't do anything against me." He gave a tentative step towards the blond. His reaction time would have let him throw about seven knives by the time he approached him, but Axel was unscathed._

"_I didn't mean it as a threat."_

_Axel looked mildly surprised as he understood what the blond truly meant._

_He heard Saïx shouts on the upper floor, obviously running to inform Xemnas. Axel was dead if they realized he had let Roxas escape. He grinned at the smaller boy and took the girl from his arms._

"_Let's go, then."_

* * *

**Never,_ never_ will I write drunk Roxas again; it's just not worth it. This chapter was particularly difficult to write, though I can't say why. Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts, they fill my heart =D**

_The Olympics are EVIL. They stalled this chapter for a week! Anyway, Next chapter will have some unaware flirting, a little exposition, and the beginning of the journey. It will be ready in two weeks, I hope. See you soon!_


	3. III: The Heart's Desire

_**Crepuscular Rays**_

_To Hitomi65: Thanks a lot!_

**To CanadianCold: The moral here is obviously "don't drink unless you're an interesting drunk!" Me? I cry and laugh at everything. That's why I don't drink. Roxas' awkwardness comes from him not having many friends. And all of them are pretty bizarre to begin with. More on that later on the story! Thanks for reviewing!**

_To OmniaVanitas: Let's just hope we meet at least SOME expectations. It's the first time we don't write something that's 80% romance so… yeah, uncharted territory and all. But we'll try our best! Thanks for the review!_

**We don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

_**III: The Heart's Desire**_

Roxas woke up with an impressive headache that only intensified with the knocking of the door. He managed to stand up and open the door, only for a cute brunet to lose his balance and fall on him. He managed to keep standing as he caught him.

"Good… morning?" He said, not too sure he was actually awake. This didn't seem like a dream though. The brunet blushed a little, but he was way too hung-over to really care. Why wasn't he standing up, again?

"Um… good morning, did you sleep well?" The brunet said awkwardly. He stood uptight, but kept his hands on Roxas' chest for a few seconds more.

"As well as I could." He said briefly. The brunet nodded. "Why are you here?" His recollection of last night was a little blurry, but apparently he had met _him_. The boy he constantly dreamed with. And it seemed he either traveled alongside or was the Crown Prince he was tasked to protect.

"Well, my friends and I were talking and… we agree you didn't explain yourself that well last night." The teen chuckled. Roxas fought his blush very hard, but failed. Xion would make fun of him for ages when e got home.

"Sorry about that. If you guys like, I'll make things clearer during breakfast." He bowed slightly. The brunet was the one who blushed this time, but Roxas did his best to ignore it.

The small walk to the first floor was nothing if not awkward. They both tried to fill the silence by commenting on meaningless things (The mold on their rooms, whether the painting in the hall was a bad replica of one of King Ventus' paintings), but the other just agreed in few words, making them glad to see the small bar with his two other charges drinking some juice on a secluded table.

The brunet immediately went to sit in the middle of his friends, while Roxas just sat in front of them. They looked at him in interest.

"Excuse me for last night's behavior." He said, not looking at any of them in the eye. His head still pounded a little, but it couldn't be helped. "Let me present myself. My name is Roxas, and I was contracted by Lord Yen Sid as a guide to the Crown Prince."

He couldn't help sounding awkward. He was not used to this.

"I'm Sora." Roxas looked up to see the brunet giving him what could only be described as a radiant smile. He knew what it meant immediately.

'It's nice to know your name'.

"Riku," The silver head said with a sigh. Whatever he had done last night had possibly been enough to earn him the hate of the teen. He'd probably had to work on that.

"I'm Kairi, pleased to meet you!" The girl said with a friendly smile. Roxas nodded. "Since you're our guide, can you show us where to go now? You may have noticed we're a little lost." Riku gave a half-hearted glare while Sora nodded in embarrassment. Roxas gave a curt nod and opened his travelling bag. Inside, alongside his map, was a small potion for headaches with a small note attached to it.

_Xion said you'll need this in your trip! Bring me back a souvenir!_

_Axel_

He smiled a little. That little witch knew from the beginning. He took a quick swig at the clear blue potion and took out his maps. His charges looked at him worried, maybe thinking he was drinking again. He ignored them and took a look at the detailed maps.

"As you can see," he said pointing to the capital. "Destiny has three possible routes towards Bastion. However, two of them are filled with dangers that are best to not cross. The Faerie Forest in the direct south is the best out of the three. It's the slowest route, but it will take us there in a week and a half."

"But Faeries are _Evil_, aren't they?" Kairi argued. "Lord Yen Sid says winning against them takes more luck than ability."

So the girl was superstitious. Figures…

"The most dangerous thing about that forest is thieves and one or two magic users; no one has seen a faerie in ages." He said calmly. The girl still seemed insecure, but he didn't know how to deal with that.

"I'm a knight of His Majesty. I can protect my friends from whatever is in there." Riku puffed out his chest, proud. Roxas decided it was best not to contradict him.

"Well, with that decided, it's best to head out an hour after noon. You have until then to stock up food and medicines."

"What will you do?" Sora asked curiously.

"I have some matters to attend to, Your Highness." His name had tipped him off, and Riku had just confirmed this boy was indeed the Crown Prince. He smiled at the three as best as he could and stood up. "I'll meet with you at the South entrance. Don't be late."

* * *

"Who does he think he is?" Riku grumbled as he judged some vegetables. "Are you sure they are fresh?" he asked the shopkeeper somewhat rudely.

"Riku!" Kairi blushed in embarrassment as she apologized to the man and bought some celery and peppermints. "He's working under a contract; it's obvious he expects us to carry our own weight."

"He's a jerk. Trust me, I know." Riku said stubbornly. He looked at Sora, somewhat surprised he hadn't taken a side in the discussion, and found him just staring off in the distance, completely oblivious to the argument. "Sora, you in there?" No response.

Kairi just stared at him for a second before he poked him on the forehead. Once. Twice. Three times. Sora just sighed. She then smiled and turned to Riku.

"Sora is in love~!" She sang in a loud voice.

The brunet reacted immediately. His eyes widened and he stumbled backwards. Riku caught him before he touched the ground.

"Wh-What? I-I'm not!" He managed to say. His blush was kind of betraying him.

"You _so_ are!" They left the store and headed to the South entrance. "Well, I can't blame you… he's really good looking!" she shrugged.

"I already told you I'm not!"

"Then let's go without him," Riku said semi-jokingly. "We already know how to get to Bastion, we don't need him anymore."

"We have to wait for him!" Sora exclaimed, panicked. Riku and Kairi smirked, making him look down. "I-it's not that! I… I can't really explain it but… I know him, in a way… I guess. I _feel _like I know how he really is. So, I'm ready to trust him."

"Wow… either you got it real bad, or there's something you're not telling us."

"It's… kind of difficult to explain. Even I don't get it that much. I just know that Roxas will help us."

"How can you be so sure?" Kairi asked.

"Why do you think a _mercenary_ will help us?" Riku said at the same time.

"Because I think that's what he wants to do."

* * *

Roxas had promised himself never to talk to _that woman_ again. However, she was the only person he knew that had what he needed in the Destiny area.

He knocked on the run-down door twelve times. Just like when he was young. The door opened slowly, uncertainly, as an electric blue eye picked from the door before opening fully.

"Long time no see, Pipsqueak!" The blonde woman laughed haughtily and moved aside. Roxas entered, feeling a sense of dread.

"How are you doing, Larxene?" He asked, even if he didn't particularly care. The woman just laughed.

"Can't complain, kid. Life manages to keep me busy." She then got a slight glimmer on her eye. "Just like you, right? …What do you need? You'd never come here unless you needed something."

"Knives," Larxene's eyes brightened and acquired the wine tone he knew so well from their training sessions with Xemnas. "Blood knives and throwing knives, all of them embedded with every possible spell you know to make them always hit."

"And what do you offer me?" The blonde changed demeanors immediately. Instead of a teasing smirk, she now had the creepiest smile as she pulled out her own set of blades, the Foudre. "My abilities aren't free, kid. Not even Xemnas had them if he didn't pay me beforehand."

Roxas doubted. He knew what kind of things Larxene wanted. The woman didn't need money. She didn't even want it. Her own nature went against everything human. Pain, death, destruction, those were the things the woman liked.

There was, however, only one thing that Roxas could give her at that moment. It went against what he had vowed, but it was the only way to get the weapons.

"…I offer you nourishment." Roxas replied after a minute and pulled out his sleeve to show off his naked arm. Larxene licked her lips briefly, but managed to distract herself quickly enough by caressing Foudre.

"Marluxia already gives me all the aliment I need…" She mumbled, although she sounded uncertain.

So the monster wanted to bargain… typical.

"But it's not the same, is it? A ghoul loves human flesh. But as long as you remain here, you're not allowed to kill restlessly like you love." Roxas held out his arm and offered it to the woman.

"You have no idea…" she muttered. "Just a little blood would be enough… Deer and cattle just aren't the same."

"I'll fight you, like old times, and then you can take some of my blood and flesh." He covered his arm in his cloak once again. "Sounds good?" Larxene looked at the covered skin for about a minute before grinning

"…Make it worth my while, kid." Her eyes turned completely red as a pair of bat wings emerged from her back.

Despite everything, Roxas smiled with nostalgia.

"Give it all you got!"

* * *

Roxas looked at the deep gash in his arm. The skin was already healing thanks to Marluxia's herbal ointment, but moving it was difficult.

"_It tastes like royalty! It's so nice to finally have decent food!"_ Larxene had only taken a little in a strange act of consideration, but it had still hurt like hell.

In exchange for his services, he had been given Vol de Nuit and Clair de Lune. They were weapons meant for assassination, but they would be pretty useful for hunting and survival.

He didn't really know why he was working so hard to protect the Crown Prince and his companions. In normal circumstances he would have never given Larxene anything, no matter what she offered.

Yet…

"_I'm escaping…" He told the brunet as they sat on the forest clearing. "Later tonight, I'll take my friends with me and escape from the castle."_

"_Isn't that castle… your home?" He wondered, confused. Before Roxas could respond, however, the boy shook his head and looked straight at him. "If that's what you must do, then do it! If your heart tells you it's the right thing then follow it to the end!"_

"My heart…" Roxas looked at his chest, as if waiting for it to talk. "Axel, Xion… Sora…"

He had decided. No matter what, he would protect the boy from his dreams. He knew from the moment he had seen him in the bar.

Even if he didn't fully understand, he'd follow the advice from that time, and hope that his heart was not mistaken by choosing this.

His charges were already at the Southern door. He put on a hesitant smile.

"Say goodbye to the capital for a while. You won't be seeing a city this big in your journey." The three turned around when they heard his voice. Kairi nodded solemnly, while Riku frowned.

Sora turned an interesting shade of red at seeing him. Kairi snickered, but Roxas decided not to comment.

"If you don't need anything else, we'll be going now." Roxas led them towards the road, the three dutifully walking behind him.

"Where will we sleep?" Kairi said in a worried tone.

"The black forest is a few kilometers away from here." He answered easily. "It's pretty safe and has a good amount of game and water."

"Thanks…" Roxas turned around to see Sora mumbling awkwardly. "For helping us, I mean." The blond just smiled and turned around.

"It's really a pleasure, Your Highness."

* * *

**Sorry about the delay, moving into college is far more chaotic than I thought. My roommate probably hates me because Lau is unofficially living with us (even if she has, and I quote "her own damn room").**

_And now we can't promise a new chapter any time soon. College will be the death of at least one of us (me), but we won't give up! We promise to keep working on this story! Next chapter: Kairi gets to be awesome! Also one or two teasing moments between our favorite couple!_


	4. IV: Caring and Thieves

_**Crepuscular Rays**_

**To OmniaVanitas: College will not kill, me. But damn it is it trying! Still, I'm having quite a good time. Thanks for the good wishes :)**

_To CanadianCold: Umm, Gods? Sorry, I don't think we will have those, keep your o-face for a worthier author T^T However, they will get to meet magical creatures soon. Some of them could even be considered holy! Tanks for the review!_

**To Justice333: Thanks for reviewing all chapters! The setting is almost completely ready. Grammar is not my strong point (or my beta's apparently…), so any mistake you can point out is really appreciated. Thank you!**

_We don't own Kingdom Hearts. _

_**IV: Caring and Thieves**_

"So…" Riku said as they walked. "If you're a 'guide', can you tell me why all the forests seem have such _somber _names?"

Sora appreciated the question. The blond was eerily quiet. They had been walking for almost three hours, yet Roxas hadn't given them any comment, and knowing the guy was just two feet away from them had rendered the trio unable to speak, too. It was getting both tiring and awkward.

He trusted Roxas, but he doubted his friends were quite on the same level yet, and they wouldn't be unless he opened up.

"Forests were supposedly named after either the bark of their trees or the dangers explorers encountered within." Roxas said in his usual even voice. "'Black', 'Dark', 'Faerie' are all good examples. You could blame our ancestors' lack of creativity for those names."

"I see…" Riku muttered.

After that, the group fell silent once more. Riku's intervention had only worked for a few seconds and had made the awkward silence even more obvious. Sora looked at Kairi pleadingly. The girl could strike a conversation with anybody. She had to be their salvation.

Kairi sighed, but nodded all the same.

"Say Roxas, we're going to spend three weeks together, right?"

"More or less…"

"Well, why don't you tell us some things about yourself? It'd be better if we knew each other during this trip." She smiled. "Oh, you can ask us anything too, sounds good?"

Roxas remained quiet for a few minutes, making Sora afraid that he was just going to ignore the proposal. However, after waiting what seemed like an eternity, Roxas gave a small nod.

"You can ask me anything, but I don't promise to answer all of your questions." He said in a more relaxed tone.

"Fair enough," Kairi accepted before Riku got into a 'Why should we trust you, then?' speech. "Let's begin with something simple, Where are you from?"

"Far north, very near the frontier," Roxas said as he shrugged. "Not very welcoming, but it was home for a while."

"Why aren't you there anymore?" Sora asked, glad to hear actual conversation. Kairi was a genius.

"I used to be a knight," _that_ got Riku's attention. The silver head began studying Roxas, probably trying to see what kind of warrior he was. "I wasn't bound to a king, but to a noble. I was banished three years ago."

"You betrayed your liege…" Riku glared at Roxas' back, what little trust the blond had gained from him seemed to have disappeared.

"Who betrays who by sending a thirteen year old knight apprentice into a suicide mission? Is it the servant or the liege?" Roxas asked indifferently, although Sora could tell the blond was quite angry. "My crime was surviving, nothing else."

Things got quiet again for a while. Sora looked over at Riku, who didn't seem particularly guilty, just continued staring at the back of Roxas' head with distrust.

"Why are you three going to Bastion anyway? Lord Yen Sid didn't inform me." Roxas said when they reached Black Forest. Sora smiled, relieved the blond was still talking to them.

"We're going to Castle Oblivion." Sora huffed softly after speaking. They had been walking for almost a long time, only stopping for a ten minute break to eat. The road was getting steep, too. If he remembered correctly, the Black Forest grew alongside a mountain.

"And then to Radiant Castle?" Roxas inquired curiously. Kairi looked at him, confused.

"Why would we go there?" She said as they walked past a particularly old-looking oak.

"You know the old legend." Roxas shrugged. "_When destruction is upon us, look for the ancient weapon in the south, and the ultimate defense in the north. Only together can they defeat the ancient shadow_" The blond recited. It was a line from one of the Kingdom's legends, passed down through the ages. "It's always assumed the south refers to Castle Oblivion, so the one in the north should be the castle in the Northern Province, Radiant."

"We're not going to war…" Riku said with an impatient tone. "We just want to make sure Sora becomes King." Roxas just shrugged again.

Sora stared at him for a moment, intrigued. Did Roxas know of the Keyblade? If so, did he know a way to get it?

So deep in thought he was, he didn't notice the big root in his path, tripping and falling straight to the ground.

* * *

Kairi saw Sora falling over, but before she even had time to react in any way, Roxas was already there, holding the brunet's waist and helping him up.

"Are you okay?" He asked in the same neutral tone, but his eyes betrayed him. He seemed genuinely worried about Sora. Her friend just nodded, somewhat dazzled, making Roxas sigh. "You have to be more careful of your surroundings. Let's just hope the terrain is our hardest obstacle in this journey." The blond said without any hint of sarcasm or mockery.

Sora blushed as Roxas finally let him go. The clearing he had talked about was just a few steps away, making the rest of the journey pleasantly quiet, for once.

The clearing itself was nothing to be impressed by, just a small patch of wild, small plants growing, getting the much desired sunlight their taller cousins stole away in other places. However, it had a dark spot in the middle, hinting at a fire that was there some time before.

"I camped here a week ago, so the only thing left is setting up camp and getting some food." Their guide explained simply.

"We have some food in here." Riku pointed out.

"Leave it for later, we cannot afford to spend every meal living off bought stuff, or we will never make it to the next town." Roxas entered the forest and looked back. "I'm getting some wood and meat, I'll be back soon." He turned around and disappeared around the trees.

"I'm coming with you!" Kairi called after him walking in the same direction. Sora looked at her confusedly. "Don't worry, I won't steal him." She winked and ran into the forest, knowing she left a blushing (and maybe about to protest) Sora behind.

* * *

Kairi caught up with Roxas a few seconds later. The blond had heard her and was standing beneath a pine, looking around.

"There are a lot of rabbits here. Maybe some foxes." He muttered. "Do you know how to hunt?"

"I have… heard of it?" She said lamely. Roxas gave a low sigh and pulled out a knife with a blue hilt and handed it to her. Kairi observed it for a moment. It had a sort of red glint in the blade that seemed to be calling to her.

"Watch out." She heard Roxas warn. She blinked and realized she had been about to stab herself. She pulled it away from her chest. "Now, just close your eyes, and look for movement. Throw the knife in that direction." Kairi looked at him skeptically. "Just do it."

Kairi sighed, but closed her eyes. After a minute or two she managed to hear some rusting leaves to her left, and threw the knife. The weapon seemed almost eager to leave her hand, and after a second she hard a thud. She opened her eyes to find the knife lodged on a rabbit.

"How…"

"Blood knives," Roxas said, picking the rabbit and putting it in a bag with two other dead animals he must have caught while she focused. "They follow blood, thanks to a spell."

"How did you get those?" What kind of person was Roxas to get access to such things?

"I won't answer that one." The blond said easily as he began picking up twigs and rocks for the fire. Kairi sighed and helped him.

"Say, you don't really know us, but you seem to care a lot about Sora…" Kairi said after a while. Roxas shifted, making it impossible to see his face.

"Really?" There was a small shift in the voice, almost… defensive?

"Oh yeah, you dived straight to save him, like a knight in shining armor!" She teased him. Roxas turned even more, so she couldn't see what she was sure was a blush going all the way down to his neck. "You must really like princes… or is it just Sora?"

"I…" Roxas stopped talking suddenly. He stood straight and turned around. Despite the red tint in his cheeks, he had a determined look on his face. "The prince is in danger." He said in a serious voice. He began running towards the clearing.

Kairi blinked twice before following him.

"W-wait! How do you know that?" Kairi said as she ran after him.

"I just know he is!" Roxas said as he picked up the pace. Kairi struggled a little to keep his pace.

When they arrived, Roxas stopped her, staying hidden in the bushes.

Sora and Riku were being held by a group of seven or so men. Riku could have escaped easily with how they were holding him, but they were holding a knife against Sora's throat, keeping them both at their mercy.

Roxas sighed in relief.

"Just a bunch of thieves," He said, Kairi looked at him as if he had gone crazy. "They are greedy, slow and dumb. It's probably a blessing it was them and not a magic user."

The thief holding Sora put the knife so close to her friend she was sure he could feel the metal against his skin now. Strangely enough, Roxas bristled around, far more uncomfortable with the sight than her.

"We still need a plan." The blond admitted darkly.

Kairi looked at the situation for a moment. _"So, greedy, slow and dumb, huh?"_ She smiled widely.

"I got it!"

* * *

Riku couldn't believe he had been so slow. Of course, he had been paying more attention to a possible betrayal from Roxas than his surroundings (Oh, Master Eraqus was _so _going to chew him out when he reported), leading to the gang of thieves in front of them. Before he had noticed anything, Sora had already been caught by three of the men, the leader pulling out a rusty knife.

He had surrendered to protect the prince, and now two guys were inexpertly holding him down while the other two rummaged around for anything valuable (which wouldn't work since Kairi had all their money hidden with her).

"There's nothing here! Just food and clothes," The guy revising their bags said. Riku was grateful he didn't seem to notice how well made and expensive those clothes actually were.

Or at least he was, until the knife got closer to Sora.

"Now, tell me where the money is, brat." The guy said dangerously as he approached Sora. Riku's mind was racing, he had to do something! Maybe if he was quick enough, he could break free and attack their leader without—

"Halt!" He heard a female voice shout. He turned around to see Kairi, looking coldly at the thieves. "_What_ are you doing with _my_ servants, scum?"

"Oh, so the miss is the boss around here," sneered the man holding Sora. "Now, if you want them alive and well, I suggest you give us all your stuff."

"I don't care what you do to those useless idiots," she said in a cold voice. Riku saw Sora's eyes widen, but he stayed relatively calm, knowing their friend had a plan. Kairi pulled out her sword and pointed it at them. "But _nobody_ threatens the Black Forest's witch and gets away with it!"

Before the thieves could react, three knives appeared out of nowhere, one of them hitting one the guys holding Sora in the wrist. The other two scratched one of the thieves on his side and tight, letting Sora step away from the falling knife's path. Their companions looked at Kairi in fear.

"Go away." She whispered dangerously.

The gang of thieves immediately ran away to safety. The two that were hurt limped as they called for their friends to wait. Kairi kept the cold expression for another ten seconds before breaking into a grin.

"We did it! You were great, Roxas!" She cheered. Roxas fell down from the tree and went directly to Sora.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at the brunet's neck. Sora just nodded and looked down. "Be more careful. Keep your sword with you at all times."

Riku blinked. He looked so… worried. He actually _cared_ about Sora. Riku stepped forward.

"It was my fault, I was distracted." He apologized. Both Sora and Kairi looked at him surprised, but he ignored them. He had to make amends.

"Nothing happened. It's nobody's fault." Roxas shrugged. Kairi came behind him.

"Well, with that taken care of, who wants some rabbit stew?" She grinned.

"I could use some food." Riku said.

"I'll cook!" Sora said enthusiastically. Roxas looked at him impressed. "What? I can cook." He huffed. Roxas just gave a light chuckle. Sora grinned like a kid on his birthday.

"What?"

"It's the first time I've heard you laugh." Roxas looked awa in embarrassment, but Sora continued to smile.

That night, as they ate, Riku was part of their little asking game. Truth was, he still wasn't sure about Roxas, but someone who wanted to keep Sora alive so sincerely was at least tolerable in his books.

* * *

Sora opened his eyes in a different clearing to the one he fell asleep in. He recognized it immediately as the dream clearing.

Roxas was waiting for him, resting against a tree.

"Sora," He smiled. "I can finally say your name."

"Hi, Roxas," Sora grinned. Roxas just walked to him and hugged him. "W-what's this about?" He stuttered, felling his heartbeat quicken.

"I wanted to do this before, but it wasn't proper." He breathed in his hair, making him shiver. "I'm so glad nothing happened to you."

"Thanks to you and Kairi," He mumbled. "How did you know we were in trouble?" Roxas shifted a little. He seemed somewhat confused and afraid.

"It was strange, Sora. When I was in the woods, something happened to me." He said as he let him go. "I had a… hunch, a _feeling_ that you were in danger. And when I come back I find you being held down, it's just so… bizarre"

Sora had never heard Roxas speak so much in his dreams, he was mostly a listener. Having him so worried made him antsy.

"We're connected, you and I." Roxas continued in a grim tone. "And I honestly don't know if that's a good thing or not."

Sora couldn't really say anything to him, so he just hugged him in an attempt to comfort him.

"Don't worry about it." Sora murmured after a while. "Everything will be alright. I promise."

"How do you know that?"

"If we're connected, then… it's okay. If it's a curse, I promise we'll turn it into a blessing."

To him at least, the possibility of being connected to Roxas was a blessing from the gods.

"I guess, it isn't so bad," Roxas sighed. "So long as I can protect you."

* * *

**Hello people! Awful author here. I kept postponing this so much because College keeps making me. Also, I miss my little brother. I didn't realize how much he inspired me to write before, but now, the drive lessens… Anyway, to make it up to you, I'll try (Keyword: _try_) to get a one shot done for Halloween. I will put it along my other one-shots in "Dealing with Emotion". If you want, please check it out!**

_We're trying to keep POV consistent now (i.e. getting better at writing quality). We reread Reincarnation, and the POV was on speed XD Okay, Next chapter, they reach a town, and Sora's dreams take an interesting turn. See you as soon as possible!_


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